Hand truck



Jan. 5, 19,32. JANKISZ 1,839,317

HAND TRUCK Filed May 18, 1951 INVENTOR 7 741.1? in Jankz s z BYAis ATTORN EYS'! N Patented Jan. 5, 1932 UNITED STATES HAND firmicx A Application filed May 13, 1'3 3 1.: Seria1 No. salsjis This invention relates to a hand truck which is essentially suitable for wheeling heavy ashcans up a fiight of stairs.

The invention is designed to provide a frame for carrying the can with wheels for wheeling it along the ground and a lever for actuating a foot arm made to coact with the tread of the stairs to lift the truck, thereb raising it to the next step.

An object of the invention is to provide the lever with a spring or counter-weight which is held under tension or expansion and, by its compression, it will press the foot arm downwardly, thereby lifting the truck with its ashoan to the succeeding step of the. stairway.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device operated by the compression of the spring for raising one end of the can to the frame of the truck and sliding it into a cradle to prevent it from shifting laterally.

The invention resides more particularly in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 represents a side elevation of a hand truck embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a-plan View thereof. p

In these drawings the numeral 4: designates a pair of wheels loosely mounted on an axle 5 and a vertical upright or frame 6 is fixed to the axle. At the upper end of the frame 6 is located a handle 7 and to the lower end of the frame is bolted a foot member 8 to support the can. A cradle 9 secured to the axle prevents the can from moving sideways while it rests on the foot member and a rear toe member 10 serves to position the frame so as to slide the can into the cradle.

Near the top of the frame, below the handle, is arranged a lever 11 and it is fulcrumed at 12 to the frame substantially in an oblique position in its relation to the frame as indicated in Fig. 3. At the forward end of the lever is fixed a swivel coupling 14 and pivoted to the coupling is an arm 15 having a foot bufier 15 to contact with the tread of a stairway. The end of the arm is limited in its movement by means of a bracket 16 'swingingly connected to the upper part of the cradle and a spring 16 tends to pull the bracket, toward theframe. Between the fulcrum and"t he;swiveled coupling is hooked one'end of a coiled sp'ring 17 and the other 3 end' is attached to theside of the frame. 'A rod 18 [with a "hook 19' at its lower end is swingingly suspendedf from the lever. 'Wh'en-it'is desiredto lift a can 20 onthe frame at 'a distance from' the stairway, "the rod is swung, as shownfin Fig. 1, and the hook engages'the" handle oflthe can.- The spring 17 ispjlacedunder tension by pulling down the lever and itis held-in "that position by means of a latch 21 swinging-1y connected tothe upper part of the frame and hooked to the lever. By unho'oking'the latch the spring is compressed and the rod lifts one end of the can onto the foot member and it slidesback to set into the cradle. The upper end of the can: is held by means'of' a clamp 22 sliding ailong the frame and-frictionally held against upward or downward movement by a spring 24 fixedto the clasp. i

#Vhenitis desired towheel the can upetread. The forward end of the lever 11 is 1 practically on a line with the axis' of the frame. so as to transmit uniform anddownward push on the-arm- 15, causing it to equalize the raising of the truck.

What I claim is:

1. In a hand'truck, the combination with a frame having an axle at its lower end, a pair of wheels mounted on the axle, a lever connected tothe upper part of the frame, an arm having one endconnected to the lever, the other end coacting with the tread of a stairway, said lever being set to exert downward pressure on the arm, and means for lock 1 ing the lever when set. x

2. In a hand truck, he combination with a frame having an axle at its lower end, a pair of wheels mounted on the axle, alever flight 'of' stairsthelatch is unhooked and the lever'swings upward, thu's. pressing the "swiveling foot arm against the surface of tread, therebydiftingthe-truck with "its 'wheels gliding along; the riser to the next fulcrumed to the upper part of the frame,

an arm having one end swivelingly connect ed to the upper part of the lever, the other end coacting with the tread of a stairway, said lever being set to exert downward pressure on the arm, and means for locking the 5 lever when set.

3. In a hand truck, the combination with a frame having .an axle at its lower end, a pair of wheels mounted on the axle, a lever fulcrumed to the upper part of the frame, an arm having one end connected to the lever, the other end coactin-g with thetread of the stairway, a spring having one end connected to the lever between its fulcrum and arm and the other end to the frame, said lever being positioned to tension the spring so as to exert downward pressure on the arm, and a latch for locking .the lever when positioned to cause ressu-reon the -arm I 4. n a hand truck, the combination with .a frame having an axle at its lower end, a pair of wheels mounted on the axle, a lever fulcrumed .to the-upper part of the frame, an arm having one end connected to thelever, the other end coactinq with the tread of the l 5 stairway, a springhaving one end connected to the lever between its fulcrum and arm and the other end to the frame, said lever being positioned to tension the "spring so as to exert downward pressure on the arm, a latch for locking the lever when positioned to cause pressure'on the arm, and-means for Limiting the movement of the (arm I 5. In a hand truck, the combination with a frame having an axle at its low'er end, a pair 5 of wheels mounted on the axle, a lever fulcrumed to the upper part of the frame, a coiled spring having one end connected to the lever and the other end to the frame, a rod with a hook at its end swingingly suspended 40 from the lever, said rod beingmade to hook onto the handle of a can, said lever being set to tension the spring, thus exerting, downward pressure on the rod, and means for locking the lever in its set position but, when unlocked, the pull on the rod lifts the can onto the lower part of the frame. i In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

MARTIN JANKISZ. 

